THE Government is stepping in and putting pressure on Turkish authorities after two British journalists were arrested and accused of helping the Islamic State (ISIS).

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has expressed concern over the arrest and detention of Vice magazine news reporter Jake Hanrahan and cameraman Philip Pendlebury over charges they assisted the barbaric jihadists.

The two men were held together with a Turkey-based colleague, Mohammed Ismael Rasool, while filming clashes between police and youth members of the pro-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) last Thursday in the south-east city of Diyarbakir.

Vice News has described the charges against them as "baseless and false" and "attempt to intimidate and censor their coverage".

In a statement, an FCO spokeswoman said that Britain expected Turkey to uphold its obligations to freedom of express under international agreements.

"Respect for freedom of expression and the right of media to operate without restriction are fundamental in any democratic society," the spokeswoman said.

"Turkey is a state party to the European Convention on Human Rights and UN Declaration of Human Rights. We would expect the Turkish authorities to uphold the obligations enshrined in those agreements."

A report on the Vice News website said that the three men had been transferred to a high-security "F-type" prison facility more than five hours away from where their legal representatives are based, and from the court where they are due to appear.

We call on the Turkish government to throw out these ridiculous charges and immediately release our colleagues

Kevin Sutcliffe

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has expressed concern over the arrest and detention of Vice magazine news reporter Jake Hanrahan and cameraman Philip Pendlebury over charges they assisted the barbaric jihadists.

The two men were held together with a Turkey-based colleague, Mohammed Ismael Rasool, while filming clashes between police and youth members of the pro-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) last Thursday in the south-east city of Diyarbakir.

Vice News has described the charges against them as "baseless and false" and "attempt to intimidate and censor their coverage".

In a statement, an FCO spokeswoman said that Britain expected Turkey to uphold its obligations to freedom of express under international agreements.

"Respect for freedom of expression and the right of media to operate without restriction are fundamental in any democratic society," the spokeswoman said.

"Turkey is a state party to the European Convention on Human Rights and UN Declaration of Human Rights. We would expect the Turkish authorities to uphold the obligations enshrined in those agreements."

A report on the Vice News website said that the three men had been transferred to a high-security "F-type" prison facility more than five hours away from where their legal representatives are based, and from the court where they are due to appear.